I usually avoid these types of movies...I like big splashy assault all your senses mostly...but my neighbor insisted I see this and it is Definitely Not my usual cup of tea. Yet, I found myself really caught up and moved by this poor child who is so full of repressed pain and wants a normal life so desperately. There is an underbelly in life that we all want to dance around and not confront. I think that is why we have so many 'monster' films, it is easier to watch fake demons than face the real ones. Jennifer is a very real person for me. I think I will have to keep an eye out for more from Ms. Eskridge...and I guess I will have to tell my neighbor they were right. After I finish my shot of tequila, which I needed.

(Spoiler alert) I was amazed when I read online about the incredibly low budget allocated for this production. The writing was spot on, depicting a woman struggling to come to terms with her abusive childhood. How difficult it is to break patterns, yet easy to fall back to the familiar. Don't let the fact that the movie is a micro budget film keep you from giving it a chance. There truly is not much you can fault this movie for. Of course you can not and should not compare this film to the exorbitant movie budgets we have become accustomed to as the norm. This IS a micro budget film…done very well. All the actors did a great job, however, the older mother was refreshing from the moment she walked on screen. Very very sad to hear this was her last film. She did a beautiful job and every minute she was on screen, I was captivated. I really enjoyed this movie and I hope others will as well.

Awful. This "movie" earns all of it's one star glory on IMDb's rating scale with 1 being awful.I watched, as it dragged along, thinking it will get somewhere. Maybe. 3/4 of the way in to the go nowhere script I stayed to figure out if this was a Lifetime movie about a crazy bee otch, like they all are from that network. I assume it is by the commercial breaks interspersed throughout and the awful acting - if that's what you would call it.I was successful in figuring out the person who reviewed this before me was obviously involved or related to someone in this abortion. The acting left a LOT to be desired. As for the cinematography described by the other viewer as being so good, well I busted out laughing reading the review. (Hint: if you're going to write the review as a favor, next time dummy down all the Oscar worthy dialogue.) The script was laughable. A sophomore in film school could've done better. The reference to Psycho by the other reviewer was another clue they're involved in the making. This isn't even in the same ballpark!Do yourself a favor...don't waste any time on even pushing the play icon on this drivel. To exercise even that much inertia is more then "Stray" deserves.

"Stray"Nena Eskridge's riveting story of an abused woman desperate odyssey to find normality in a chaotic world is yet another echo of the dark side of past film noir classics. It is through Nena Eskridge's bold direction that this film defines itself as a "dark film" a.k.a. "film noir" through the films use of light and shadow and it's criminally inclined malevolent characters. While the film was obviously produced on a small budget, it reminds one of past classics like "Psycho" and "Identity". Nena Eskridge artistic rendering is painted with a broad brush filled with a Hitchcock cinematic type of magic that causes the viewer to wonder "What is going to happen next?" Actresses Gabrielle Stone provides a stellar performance as a confused and tormented young woman who is running from a dark past and is willing to do anything and everything to find a new life. This film is a timely reminder that "what we want, is not always what we want" and "what we get, is not always what we get". Arita Trahan turns in an amazing performance as an older woman that provides a much needed comparison as well as contrast to Gabrielle Stone's character. The cinematography provided by David Landau was excellent, and while the film was shot in color it still fulfills the necessary ingredients to be "film noir". Kudos to Nena Eskridge for the creation of her wonderful story of a woman with a mirror cracked personality who struggles to find a new life while trying to run away from a dark and disturbing past. This time around with Nena Eskridge's capable direction, the old adage "You Can't Go Home Again" takes on a whole new meaning.